Kasha Mangsho: The quintessential Bengali Sunday lunch

Change is in the air in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. If you are Bengali or Tamil, even if you live outside those states, I bet you have gobbled up media coverage of the pre, ongoing and post poll analyses. Didi made a clean sweep of the Bong heartland and promised Poriborton (change).

But let me tell you, here is one thing that isn’t going to change. The quintessential Bengali craving for Kasha Mangsho and Bhaat on Robibaar (Sunday). A plate of white warm rice served with Bengali style mutton curry in rich gravy with raw papayas and potatoes is sure to make you salivate for the Sunday lunch.

Kasha Mangsho

It will take you a while to prepare it, but the result is worth a wait, I promise!

So, 9 a.m Sunday get out of bed and go straight to your nearby mutton/grocery store, and get the stuff mentioned below. Start prepping by 11am and voila, you should have an epicurean delight by 1:30 pm.
By the way in case you don’t get around to it for Sunday lunch, it tastes just as delicious for dinner any day of the week.

• Grate half of the papaya with a cheese grater, and cut the other half into 4 large pieces
• Cut the potatoes into half
• Make paste of one onion, chop the second and the cut the third into quarters
• Marinate the mutton with grated papaya, yogurt, coriander powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, keep in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 ½ hours
• Fry the chopped onions and potatoes separately, keep aside
• Boil about 3 cups of water along with the left out turmeric powder, quarter onions, bay leaves
• Pour in about 4 tablespoons of mustard oil in a pressure cooker, put in the marinated mutton and fry over low flame till the gravy dries and it changes color, add the fried potatoes and papaya pieces (if using)
• Pour in the boiling water
• Cover the lid of the pressure cooker with the weight and wait for 3 whistles
• Garnish with the fried onions
• Serve hot with warm white rice

Special Tips – The grated papaya helps in softening the mutton pieces, so it's an optional ingredient in this preparation. The number of whistles depends on the quality of mutton, so check after the 3 whistles whether the mutton has become tender, else allow some more time.